The investigation of energy transduction mechanisms of relevance to biological and photobiological energy transfer and storage is focused on experiments using photosensitive black lipid membranes containing chlorophyll and carotenoid and the interaction of these membranes with biliproteins, ferredoxin, plastocyanin and plastoquinones. Several of the molecules are effective in directing electron transfer across the membranes. Efforts are being made to elucidate specific combinations of phospholipid, protein and quinone that promote the greatest quantum efficiency and will yield significant information about reconstructing an electron transfer chain similar to that in photosynthesis. Experimental techniques will be employed utilizing photosensitive liposomes in addition to the black lipid membrane system. The liposomes will be used in batch microcalorimetric investigation of binding of proteins and differential scanning microcalorimetry of membrane transitions. In addition to the chlorophyll bilayer system, photosensitive membranes containing bacteriorhodopsin and photosynthetic bacterial reaction center will be explored. The elucidation of energy transduction and electron transfer in the model membrane system would assist in our efforts to understand the reduced efficiency of electron transfer process across membranes in cells that have impaired function due to infections or genetic disorders.